Stringed musical instrument



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,870 0. H. MERRITT I STRINGED MUSICAL ms'rnuuauwFiled Oct. 9, 1926 gwuento'o Charles H. Merritt Patented Nov. 6, i928cnanms n. mnnnrr'r, or Bum.Iranian, WASHINGTON.

" "BTRIHGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application tiled October 9, 1926., Serial No. 140,471.;

Myinvention relates to an improvement in stringed musical instruments,particularly instruments of the type of the ban]o, wherein strings arestretched between ahead and a neck extending therefrom.

One ofthe objects of thisinvention is to apply the vibrationsofthestrings, which are v '32 111. accordance with the vibrationstransordinarily absorbed in the rigid neck, throughthe neck to theheador drum insuch a jwaythatthe amplitude of vibrat on of the head isincreased and the sound persists in the head, to thcend thattheinstrument, ord narily but slightly resonant, is made more resonant,and itstonal qualities are improved.

' Another object is thearrangement of parts of such an instrumentin suchaway that the headiisacted upon from opposite sides so that thevibratory effect from, each'side is, to a certain extent,,counteractedandamplified by the'efi'ect from theopposite side. a I

Other objectsof my'invent on will become apparent as thedescriptionprogresses.

My invention comprises the novel parts "andarrangement of theseparts andother, 2 standard, parts, relative to each other to produce the effects.describediabove; v

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in associationwith a vbanjo, though it will be understoodthat the principlesthereofmay be applied equally as well to other types of stringed instruments,such as the mandolin, guitar and ukulele, which employ a projectingneck.

invention, the banjo head and rim being shown in section. p V

, Figures 2, 13 and 4 are sections onthe respective'lines 2-'-2,3-3,:and :4-4 of urel.

,Ordinarily the neck 3 o'f a banjo or like instrument, which carries thenut 30, for1ning the outer support, for the strings 4, is rigidlyconnected to a head formed of the rim 2and the membrane 1. The inner endof the strings 4 is secured in some suitable tailpiece, as indicated at5, and the vibration of these strings is transmitted to [the membrane 1through a bridge 6, interposed between the head and the strings. Thusthe'tension of the strings 4 presses the bridge against the head, andthe vibration of the stringsisonly transmitted to the head in theonedirection and p at the one point. The strings vibrate as much at the nut30. as at the bridge 6, but the vibration at the nut 30 is absorbed inthe neck 3.

Figure 1' is a general side-elevation of my According to my invention,the neck 3, and the extension 31 thereof, which ordinarily forms'thedowel post rigidlyspacing opposite sides of the rim 2, is pivoted upon atransverse pivot 32, v supported in brackets 23 secured upon the rim 2.Thus the entire neck 3, 31 is free to. oscillate upon the pivot mittedto it at the nut 30.

- I now. provide means for transmitting to the one side of the head 1such vibrations, and the particular mechanism to e'flFect this resultmay be any which is found suitable. As shown herein, a short lever 7 ispivoted at 72 upon brackets '27, secured upon the inner periphery oftherim 2. One end of this lever 7 is connected by links 71 to the end ofthe extension 31 of the neck, the pin 73 connecting these'members.-Moveinent. of the short lever which is caused .tovibrate with the neck3 bythe connection described, is in. turn communicated to the inside'orunder side of the, head l by suitable means, such as the bridge orknife-edge contact member '60,

which, in efl'ect, forms part of the lever, though usuallynot securedthereto. Thus the tension of the strings 4, acting through the neck 3,causes a pressure at 60 upon the head 1 in oppositiontto'the bridge 6,and these pressures may be made nearly equal in amount. Preferably,however, the points of contact are spaced, as contact at the same pointshas a tendency to mute the instrument. I have found, with an arrangementas described, that is, through .the provision of 'meanswhereby vibrationof a free neck. is

transmitted to the underside of the head, that the resonance of theinstrument and its sweetness oftone is markedly and pleasinglyincreased, and the volume is likewise increased to a considerableextent.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1 The combination, in'a stringed musical instrument, of a headco'n'iprising a rim and a membrane, a neck supported between its ends insaid head for free vibration relative thereto, vibratory strings, a. nuton the outer end of-said neck forming a bearing for one end of saidstrings, their other end being secured to said rim, a bridge interposedbe- "tween said strings and said membrane, and means operativelyconnected with said pivoted neck for transmitting its vibrations to themembrane...

2. The combination, in a banjo or like lm- I stringed musicalinstrument, of a rim, a membrane supported thereon, a neck projectingfrom the rim, strings stretched from the outer end of said neck to apoint ofsecurement on said rim opposite said neck, a bridge interposedbetween said strings and the membrane, means pivotally supporting saidneck, intermediate its ends, fronrthe rim for free vibration relativethereto, and means for transmitting the vibrations or" said neck to saidmembrane. i

3. The combination, in a banjo or like stringed musical instrument, of arim, a membrane supported thereon, a neck projecting from the rim,strings stretched from the outer end ot'said neck to a point ofsecurenient on said rim opposite said. neck. a bridge interposed betweensaid strings and the membrane, means pivotally supporting said neck,intermediate its ends, from the rim for free vibration relative thereto,and means for transmitting the vibrations of said neck to said membrane,said means be ing under an initial tension directed against saidmembrane in opposition to said bridge.

l. The combination, in a banjo or like stringed musical instrument, of arim, a membrane supported thereon, a neck projecting from the rim,strings stretched from the outer end of said neck to a point, ofsecurement on said rim opposite said neck, a bridge interposed betweensaid strings and the membrane, means pivotally supporting said neck,intermediate its ends, from the rim, and means for transmitting thevibrations of said'neck to said membrane, said means being under aninitial tension directed against said membranein opposition to saidbridge, but not coinciding in location with the bridge.

5.'The combination in a stringed musical instrument comprising a headincluding a sounding membrane, a neck projecting from said head stringsstretched across said membrane and'securedto said head and to said neckoutward of the head, and a bridge interposed between said membrane andsaid strin s, of means forming a free pivotal support for said neck uponsaid head, and means operatively connecting said neck with saidmembrane, to transmit to the membrane the vibrations initiated in saidneck.

6. In a banjo or like stringed musical instrument, in combination, ahead including a rim and a membrane stretched thereover, a neckextending through and pivotally supported in one side of the rim,strings stretched from the opposite side of the rim to the outer end ofthe neck, a short lever pivotally supported in the rim opposite theinner end of the neck, and H1 is connecting an end of said short leverwith the inner end of said neck, the opposite end of the levercontacting with the membrane.

'7. In a banjo, a head including a rim, a neck, and'a dowel post formingan extension thereof, and means pivotally supporting said neck in therim, said dowel post and neck being otherwise disconnected from said rimand tree to oscillate relative thereto.

8. The combination, in a stringed musical instrument including a rim anda sounding membrane supported thereon, of a neck projecting from therim, means pivotally supporting the neck, intermediate its ends, fromthe rim for tree vibration, strings under tension connected to the outerend of said neck and extending over the outer face of the membrane, saidstrings, when they are struck, causing said neck to vibrate transverselyot' the plane of the membrane, the inner end of said neck beingoperativelycom nected to said membrane to transmit its vibrationsdirectly to the inner face thereof.

9. The combination, in a strin ed musical instrument including a rim anda sounding membrane supported thereon, of a neck projecting from therim, strings extending from the neck over the outer face of the membraneto a tail piece, a bridge interposed between the strings and the outerface of the membrane, a lever supported adjacent the inner face of themembrane, and bearing thereupon, and means connecting said lever to theneck to receive vibrations therefrom for transmission to the membrane.

Signed at'Bellingham, lVashin ten, this 2nd day of October, 1926.

CHARLES H. MERRITT.

